FOUNDED 1895 • THE NATION’S OLDEST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
Volume CXLVII — No. III
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
record.pingry.org
HAPPY NEW YEAR? Omicron Variant Comes to Pingry
SANIYA KAMAT (IV) As a new year begins, COVID-19 cases continue to increase. B.1.1.529, also known as the Omicron variant, seems to be the one to blame. On November 24, 2021, South Africa reported the identification of the mutated virus to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was first detected in specimens collected on November 11 in Botswana. Two weeks after detection, the WHO named the B.1.1.529 variant “Omicron” and classified it as a Variant of Concern (VOC). On November 30, the United States labeled Omicron a VOC, and a day later, on December 1, the first confirmed case of Omicron was identified in the United States. With Omicron on the rise, cases are skyrocketing at a far quicker rate than before. On January 10, there were a whopping 1,433,977 new cases in the United States—the highest number seen. Although the deaths do seem to be increasing with the new year, the number is minuscule compared to that of April of 2020. Additionally, Omicron is not the cause of most deaths, at least as of now. Most of the current deaths seem to be related to the Delta variant. While Omicron seems to be less fatal than the Delta variant,
especially for the unvaccinated, it remains a dangerous virus of which people must be aware. The most common symptoms seen in patients with Omicron are currently runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. Pingry continues to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Regarding remote learning, the plan is to use it as little as possible. Other than the unexpected remote learning day on January 12 from the power failure, there have only been three fully remote days this year—all of which happened in succession after winter break. Although there is currently a hybrid option, the goal is to remain entirely in-person. “This has been our plan since last spring when we articulated our goal of Better Together because we’ve found that being in person is just better for everyone—academically, socially, and emotionally,” Assistant Head of School Dr. Delvin Dinkins said. Unless compelled to by health experts, Pingry is not planning to go fully virtual. Remote learning is supposed to be a temporary option, and the current plan is to avoid the Pingry Anywhere model in which students can opt for remote learning on a daily basis. Saliva testing is another precautionary measure that the
school has continued to take throughout these difficult times. The plan going forward is for testing to remain a part of the overall structure and possibly go back to testing twice a week. The school does want to acknowledge that with increasing numbers of students, faculty, and staff who are vaccinated, testing may become of lesser importance in the future. A significant change around campus is the removal of plexiglass. In the two years since COVID-19 first began, the knowledge surrounding the function of plexiglass has changed. Previously, evidence showed that physical barriers between people, such as plexiglass, served an essential purpose in not spreading the virus. Now, science has evolved to indicate that barriers can have the opposite effect by obstructing airflow depending on the space and facilitating the spread of COVID-19. The plexiglass would need to be designed in a particular manner to work efficiently. Unless the science changes again, Pingry plans to remain without plexiglass. Another significant change that can be seen on campus is the authorization of N95 and KN95 masks. Because of the higher rate at which Omicron spreads, there have recently been a lot more requests for permission to use
these masks—both for comfort and safety purposes. In a sense, Pingry masks were originally thought to be a type of passport that could function as a builtin way of identifying students within the building. Since the masks have two layers with a filter in between, they were thought to be relatively safe. However, with personal preferences and new research that has come to light, the administration has decided to allow students, faculty, and staff to wear N95 or KN95 masks if they so choose. COVID-19 has affected all parts of life, both at home and at school, but it has taken an exceptionally high toll on the performing arts. Returning to unmasked performances does not seem plausible in the near future. Instead, performances will be examined on a case-by-case basis. Drama Department Chair Mrs. Stephanie Romankow will go over the details of every performance to check if it is a viable idea. This applies to serenades, the musical, and ensemble concerts. Nothing has been postponed or canceled yet, and the administration is trying to approve as many performances as possible. “If we can do it safely, then we’re going to do it safely; if we can’t, then we can’t,” Dr. Dinkins said.
School dances are another part of student life that have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. Snowball has been postponed to a later date, and the emergence of additional information is being waited on before plans will be made to cancel or go forward with the dance. Interim Upper School Director Dr. Reid Cottingham and Form III/IV Dean of Student Life Mr. Robert Hoepfl are discussing the possibility of splitting the dance between grades—the same way Homecoming was last year. The administration is still trying to take one step at a time, but the plan remains to have a prom. In a way, Snowball will act as a “dress rehearsal” for Prom and give a sense of revising strategies. Lastly, the plans for Spring Intensives are still good to go. Many groups are planning to travel for educational purposes. Because most traveling groups stay local or regional and have an outdoor aspect, the plans for traveling Spring Intensives should proceed unless the COVID-19 cases take an extremely sharp turn. The pandemic has been tough on everyone, but it is vital to stay strong, be safe, and persevere. The Pingry community has come so far together already. It will make it through Omicron together as well.
Photo Credits: Google Images